This article will help you understand what shadow IT is, how to recognize it, and what you can do to limit any threats it could pose to your business.
What is shadow IT?
Shadow IT refers to apps employees install and services they sign up for on their work devices, and the non-work devices they log in from without permission from their IT team. It's basically anything that a worker might use to work or handle business data that your IT team hasn't installed or configured for work purposes.
In recent years, shadow IT has become more pervasive. It reached new levels during the pandemic, when we were forced home and personal and business boundaries were blurred. Workers became used to managing their own days from home, and they found new ways of working that made sense for them.
Software as a service (SaaS) products are also plentiful, incredibly easy to download and use, and might be able to support workers in business areas they're frustrated with. The problem with this is that it creates vulnerabilities and a lack of oversight. Shadow IT is a phenomenon that IT teams have been dealing with for a long time, and it's unlikely to go away. It appears in businesses of every size in every industry.
Workers turn to shadow IT when they're frustrated with the tools they're using and look for other solutions. If the software they're using is inefficient or doesn't support their needs, many employees will try to solve the issue themselves. It might not seem like it, but this can be a good thing: It's a sign your employees want to do a good job and are trying to adapt their work tools accordingly.
However, every time a new app or service is introduced into your work environment, it can complicate work processes and create new cybersecurity risks(new window). Together, IT teams and security teams are responsible for access and identity management and your business's overall cybersecurity, but unsanctioned apps and services take this control out of their hands.